The Legend of Zelda: Cowardice
by disneyandstuff
Summary: Three years after the twilight princess, another dark power threatens Hyrule. But what happens when the hero of legend refuses to go to battle? Arima, a girl with strange powers, must push Hyrule's only hope, Link, back onto the right path before it's to late.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! I'm pretty new to this sight ,but I've written fan fiction before. So here is my first story! Please read and I would really aprreciate aome feedback and reviews! Hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter One: Hyrule Has Fallen**

Kye lowered Zelda from the horse. Together they neared the castle that was now rubble as Zelda attempted to hold back her tears. She thought of all those who died trying to defend the palace. All of the royal guard, her servants who had cared for her since childhood, her father... They were gone because of her. The monster really just wanted Zelda and here she was, unharmed while thousands died in her place. She broke down, falling to her knees and letting her cries rattle her entire being.

Kye bent down and placed his hand on the young princesses shoulder. "Zelda," he started, "You must understand that they couldn't have let you fall to the darkness. Hyrule would've had no chance then."

Zelda trembled as she continued to cry. Kye sighed. He swooped Zelda up from the ground, carrying her bridal style as she continued to sob into his shoulder. He lifted her onto the the horse and mounted the steed himself. Kye put the animal into a steady trot while the princess clutched onto his waist. Kye was the last of the loyal Sheikah guard. All the rest had betrayed the royal family and killed those who did not consent to the new sheikahn ruler.

Her name was Edra and she claimed the spot with a group of elite Sheikah fighters whom the rest feared. She had a strange, opaque power that could not be stopped. She had planned to take all of Hyrule by killing off the royal family, but Kye saved Zelda because of a dream that had been haunting him ever since he laid eyes on the girl. In the dream, Kye saw the girl engulfed in a bright light. There were always two other figures with Zelda but he could never make out their faces... They neared Kakariko village which had become a refugee camp after the attack. Edra hadn't touched it yet, but Kye new it was only a matter of time. He swore by the goddesses that he'd do anything in order to keep Zelda alive.

The entire village was in flames. Arima gasped for air as she attempted to crawl to a safer place. She grabbed a cloth laying on the floor- most likely from a dead body- and tied it so that her mouth was covered. Arima forced herself to her feet and began an agonizingly slow walk to a safer place.

She tried not to think of her family. Of her father who was killed in the front lines. Of her mother who was shot down trying to escape with her three year old brother. Tristan was no where in sight afterwards.

Arima continued her journey until she reached the outskirts of town, ripping off the piece of cloth and Trying to catch her breath. She turned to view her town that was now a mass of black smoke. Arima cried out, falling to the floor. She searched for some kind of refuge before the army headed her way. Deciding that a nearby cave would be her only hope, she began to crawl. Her entire body ached, likely from third degree burns and scrapes from dodging weapons.

Arima arrived to the cave and pulled herself up so that she was sitting against that wall. She examined her wounds, discovering a behemothic gash that traveled from her Achilles heel to her knee cap. Arima knew she would die and regretted troubling her self to get out of the village. The gash was bleeding her out, full of dirt, and forming a bluish discoloration. If she wasn't going to die from blood loss, the infection would surely kill her. She threw her head back, not feeling any real pain seemingly from shock. It all hit her at once. A bright light emanating from her left hand and the agony that came with it. It was dark before she could even scream.

She woke up thrown across a horse. Arima's hands were tied together as well as her feet. Her eyes searched what seemed like Hyrule's Great Plains when using a broken looking glass. Arima attempted to shift herself to get a view of her captor but was welcomed with a pain so great she cried out. She heard the horse neigh and then come to a stop. Her captor was now in front of her, but her vision was so blurred that it really just seemed like a blob of different colors. She felt a hand on her chin and then some kind of liquid being poured into her mouth. Arima choked in an attempt to swallow. As soon as she did, her eyes shut once again.

_"Arms up Arima." _

_This was her sixth time going up against her father that day. He was determined to make sure that she could defend herself. _

_"Dad... I'm really... Really tired." She was only 9 years old and he wanted her to be an expert at hand to hand combat. _

_"Come on Ari! An enemy will not wait for you to strike first!" He began throwing punches at the little girl. Arima tried to keep up with him, dodging his blows and trying to get some weak hits in._

_ He struck quickly to her chest knocking her down to the floor. Arima began to cry, Covering her eyes and trying to hide from her father. _

_He looked down at her sympathetically. "Arima..." He bent down and picked her up, carrying his daughter and sitting down so that she was on his lap. _

_"I'm sorry Arima, but you must learn to be stronger." He wiped her tears off her cheek. "You'll face so many trials Arima. You're different from others."_

_ "I don't want to be different papa..." Arima whimpered. _

_"But you are. And one day, people will try to take you. They will burn down all of Hyrule in order to find you. That's why you need to have a strong soul." He hugged Arima tightly, "Okay?" _

_Arima nodded, "Okay_."

-She woke in a quiet room on what seemed like an alter turned into a surgery table. Arima felt achey, but pushed herself up to look around. It was an empty room with the exception of a few boxes.

Arima examined her wounds. The enormous gash that had once been her leg was now just a mere scar. She looked at her arms and discovered that the burns were half gone as well. Arima got on her feet and walked towards the door. She opened it and headed out of the room.

"I don't know who she is. I just- when I came close to her..." A male voice said. Arima stood behind the wall and continued to listen.

"I don't know what to tell you. It must have been an act of the goddesses." And older voice replied. Arima lifted her left hand and saw a mark of three triangles faintly glowing.

"I-" the boy paused and became quiet. Arima began to back up into the shadows of the hall but it was to late. That's when Arima saw him.

He was about a head taller then her with blond hair and bright blue eyes. He was pale and looking down at his own left hand that had the same glowing mark. Arima gasped as he shot his head up. Arima realized who he was.

"The-the hero of legend." Arima let out weakly. An older man walked behind the boy. He had long black hair and seemed to be some kind of shaman.

He looked between the two of them feeling an immense stream of power. "How strange..." He whispered. He looked back at the girl. "Hello my child. My name is Renado." Renado placed his hand on the girls shoulder and pushed past the blue-eyed boy.

"Where am I?" Arima asked.

"You are in Ordon village. I am sorry that we seem so dumbfounded my dear. That mark on your hand is surprising."

"You're telling me."

The older man laughed motioning for her to follow him out. "You were quite a mess when Link here found you." He turned to look at the boy behind them. Arima stared at him curiously.

At that time, the boy looked nothing like a hero. His eyes were dull. You could see the emptiness wondering about. His face was tired and his shoulders slightly hunched over. He wore raggedy clothes and his hair was disheveled. Anyone could see that he was no longer in the right mind.

They walked into the open air, the sunlight almost blinding Arima. "Who attacked my village?" she said seriously.

"Her name is Edra." This time it was Link who replied. "No one knows much about her other than her having a fierce army that reeks of darkness." Arima looked down, remembering the initial attack and the fear in her fathers eyes...

"Renado! Something's happened! Quick!" It was an old man running towards us, he had wild hair and fogged up glasses. Arima also noticed the way his beer belly protruded out if his stained shirt.

Renado sighed, "Link, why don't you show the girl around and assign her a tent. What is it this time Barnes?" The shaman walked away, leaving Arima with the boy.

"Don't worry about that. Barnes is always getting himself in trouble. I'm Link by the way." The boy grabbed her hand and shook it.

"Arima." She replied. "So if you don't mind, Link, may you tell me how I got here." Arima commanded more than asked.

Link snickered, "It's kind of weird actually... We received word of the attack in Eden and what with me being the only one with any fighting experience around here went to scout for survivors." He looked down again at his hand. "I was about to enter the town when- well it started glowing." Link waved his hand in Arima's face, "then you were there, passed out, and I saw the- your hand and things just aren't clicking..." He trailed off. Arima was confused.

"So what are you going to do?"

"What do you mean what am I going to do?" Link replied.

"Well, you're the hero of legend, the savior of Hyrule, aren't you going to do anything?"

Link scoffed, "Look, I'm no hero anymore."

"What are you-" Arima was interrupted by a loud boom.

"Link!" Renado ran towards them with a fearful expression. "We're under attack!

Arima looked up to see thousands of arrows lit on fire, about to destroy the unsuspecting village.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! Thanks for the views and sorry this is so short. I hope that if you read this you'll be kind enough to leave me reviews... enjoy! **

**Chapter Two: Evil Unveiled**

The entire town was immersed in chaos in only a matter of minutes. Arima knew that she couldn't run away from this one. She turned to Link hoping for some kind of instruction. All he did was stare at the falling arrows dumbfounded.

"Move!" Arima pushed him behind a boulder,

"What are you doing!"

"I-I-" Links face was blank.

Arima sighed, "Dammit! Stay here." Link didn't object.

Arima looked out upon the village, people running and screaming, houses starting to burn. Her heart pounded as she tried to figure out what to do. She closed her eyes and listened. She opened her eyes to see Link's horse only a few feet away. She raced toward it and was surprised when the mare let her get on with out a fuss. She raced toward the barricade that separated the attackers from the town.

All the furniture that the villagers hoped would keep them out was set on fire. Arima climbed up a steep hill being sure to keep herself hidden. "Spare no lives!" A slim figure shrouded in black armor covered in purple diamonds with a black mask that only revealed blood red eyes.

"Find the girl and boy and burn this village to the ground!" There were shouts of agreement from an army wearing similar but less extravagant outfits. Arima watched as the dark army prepared to charge into Ordon.

She thought of her own village. Of the children she had seen playing when she first went outside. This couldn't happen... Arima had a feeling that they only wanted her because of the mark on her hand. As well as Link's. "

"WAIT." She shouted from the hill.

The girl shrouded in black turned towards Arima while another guard readied an arrow. He shot straight at her and before she knew it, Arima had stopped the arrow before it impaled her chest. Edra's eyes crinkled upward as the grew an ever darker shade. She turned to the other guards and started throwing out orders. Another arrow was pointed at Arima as she put her hands up in surrender.

"Come down!" The man closest to Edra commanded. Arima hesitated before turning around to look at Ordon.

The village people stood staring at her, fear in their eyes. Arima spotted a little boy in his fathers arms that instantly reminded her of her brother Tristan. She felt her heart throb in despair for her innocent brother. She turned back towards Edra and descended down the hill. Arima thought of how Link hadn't been in the crowd and must have escaped. 'That coward.' She thought.

Now she stood on front of Edra and her massive army. The girl was something to look at. Her eyes shone with something Arima couldn't place. She was slender and pitch black hair covered her forehead above dark skin. She bore a triforce on her left hand.

Edra dismantled her horse and walked towards Arima followed by three men. She stared her down, being sure to show that she was not scared of whatever this girl would throw at her.

"I'm assuming you are Arima." Her voice was light, sounding almost friendly. Almost. Arima stood quiet.

"And where's the champion of courage?" Edra snickered, "no doubt he ran away. Guess we'll have to make do without him."

Arima felt the breath being sucked out of her by an invisible power. She scratched at her throat, trying to claw a hole into it so that she could breath. Edra stood still with her arms folded, her smile being shown through her eyes. The pain stopped and Arima quickly fell to her knees. Two of the guards grabbed either arm and began to drag her off.

"Burn this city to the ground."

Arima attempted to protest, but again pain gnawed at her chest. They turned her around so that she could watch as part of Edra's Army stormed in to village, setting plants and buildings on fire. She watched as villagers ran frantically and heard the screams of women and the cries of children. Again her thoughts drifted to the small boy. Arima put her head down, feeling as helpless as ever.


End file.
